Do coyote really kill sheep?
Yes. Coyote, wolves, bears, mountain lions, foxes, eagles, hawks, wild pigs, dogs, feral cats, and ravens kill lambs, sheep, kids, goats, calves, foals and other livestock. The losses can be substantial. In some ranch areas, losses to predators, primarily from coyote, but also from wolves, bears, mountain lions, lynx, bobcats, wolverines, eagles, and hawks are often the difference between profit and serious losses for sheep raisers. Now that coyote have spread throughout all 48 lower states, Canada and Mexico, farm flocks, including flocks in semi-rural areas, are beginning to suffer significant predation losses from coyote. Predator statistics are available to document the damage in some areas, and there are procedures to evaluate the predation on livestock and wildlife. Because large predators like bears and wolves can carry off their prey and consume prey without leaving evidence, official statistics may not reveal the full extent of losses to predators.
